Most of the people consider pets as much a part of the family as any other person in the household. It is a real tragedy for a family when somebody kills their beloved pet in cold blood. Unfortunately, those who kill pets almost never are held accountable for it especially in cases when Police Officers are involved.

Too often dog owners face situations when their dogs get shot by police officers without any reason. Pit Bulls owners are probably the most affected group because of myths and prejudices around this breed. In many cases, Police Officers prefer to kill a dog rather than to call for animal control.

This is what happened to Mr. Brown, the family Pit Bull, who escaped from the yard on August 31, 2016, and was shot by Bexar County Sheriff’s Department officer Sean Thompson. The officer came after receiving a report of two vicious dogs gotten loose, although the photo of the dogs was made showing them peacefully lying on a homeowner’s patios. As the dog owner later explained they never let the dogs out due to concerns about their safety as Pit Bulls are usually associated with violence and it might be dangerous for them to walk outside. The homeowner where Mr. Brown got shot called for animal control and even fed the dog apparently feeling no threat.

However, Officer Thompson considered peaceful dogs as a threat and refused to wait for animal control officers who were already on the way. According to his explanations, he was afraid for children’s safety. However, the rifle shooting in a busy neighborhood might have posed a bigger threat to children than two lost pets. One of the dogs managed to escape (and didn’t hurt anyone) but Mr. Brown was fatally shot.

We, the undersigned, demand justice for Mr.Brown, the beloved family dog, who was shot by the BCSD officer with no reason:

1. BCSD officer Sean Thompson should be disciplined for his violent actions. The witness’ testimony confirms that Mr. Brown didn’t pose a threat to anyone. It should be taken into account during the investigation.

2. Bexar County Sheriff’s Department should provide its officers with the proper training on cases involving pets. These cases should be handled by animal control service, not by the gunned police officers. If a pet doesn’t pose an immediate threat then police officers should never fire at it. Otherwise, they should face a strict punishment.

Police officers are supposed to protect people but nobody needed to be protected from Mr. Brown. He was the peaceful family boy who had no intention to harm anyone. For the family, it was not just a dog it was their friend, family member. It is time to stop discrimination against Pit Bulls and stop unnecessary shootings of family pets!